S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, met with the top UN officials in this location to discuss the Security Council reforms, the G20 presidency of India, local and global challenges, and sustainable development goals. Jaishankar met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Monday at the UN’s headquarters, a day before he participates in the General Debate at the current high-level General Assembly session. Achim Steiner, the administrator of the United Nations Development Program, was another person he met with.
Jaishankar said it was a “pleasure” to meet with Guterres and that he discussed “how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening” the UN’s sustainable development agenda.
“We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year,” Jaishankar said in a tweet, adding that he appreciated Guterres’ strong commitment to reforming international financial institutions.
In a readout of the meeting issued by the UN spokesperson’s office, Guterres “expressed appreciation for India’s cooperation with the UN and its leadership of the G20”.
According to the readout, Guterres and Jaishankar also “discussed the situations in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other global challenges.” On September 9 and 10, under India’s G20 Presidency, the UN secretary-general attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. Jaishankar met Francis before his meeting with Guterres and appreciated his appreciation of the results of India’s G20 Presidency.
